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OK, it’s been 24 hours since you read about having fun with innovation in my last post (you DID read it, didn’t you?), and you’re stuck. Try as you might, not one hair-brained idea has surfaced in the last hour or two. Well, little buddy, sometimes ya gotta stir the batter before making flapjacks (with a nod to Scott Adams).

For inspiration, check out some of the innovations from Business Innovation Insider. It’s likely the discussion that initiated every one of them probably started this way:

“You know, what if we…”

Each one of these innovations started with a “eureka” moment (and probably over a beer, by the looks of ‘em); perhaps they might prompt a few wild thoughts of your own…

Latch-Hook Rugs

No, silly, it’s not an innovative new wig hair replacement, it’s exactly what it sounds like: A rug. On a wall. Framed. It seems NY artist Rob Conger is making big bucks (up to $4,000 a pop!) for his latch-hook rug portraits of famous CEOs, like Sam Walton (Wal-Mart), Vance Coffman (Lockheed Martin) and many others. Those New Yorkers are such a crazy bunch! Actually, this one makes me a little sick to my stomach, when I think of what passes for art these days. But it DOES illustrate a previously-overlooked innovative niche.

The Luxury Loo

The Wall Street Journal has a story (sorry, subscription required) about the portable sanitation industry and how it is being transformed. So now, when you throw that big society outdoor shindig and a guest has to hit the can, no longer are the only options finding a strategically-placed tree, or tiny, smelly blue boxes. Now you can pay up to $5,000 a day for a truly sumptuous temporary John with marble counters, porcelain flush toilets, and air conditioning – even an attendant! A little pricey, no doubt, but look at the, ahem, bottom line - this way you don’t have to worry about your guests wandering around the house lifting the silverware while pretending to look for the loo.

The Stone Bed

If you’re one of those people who just can’t get a firm enough mattress, here’s an idea – why not try a stone bed? Apparently Koreans have been using these for some time, and one company is now marketing them in the U.S. Yeah, sure – sounds like a case of Chinese Math at work in the marketing department (“…but sir, there are 220 million Americans, and if only 1% buy one, we’ll make a fortune!”) On the other hand, the beds are good-looking, heated, and to prevent lawsuits, made for ground-floor bedrooms only. Please don’t hate me for saying this, but I predict (ahem) a “hard sell” in the comfort-centric U.S. market.

The Extremely Personalized T-Shirt

A manufacturer in Canada is now producing “top-5 list” t-shirts that buyers can fill in from their website with anything at all. Now you can share with the world your 5 favorite books (No. 1: Spider-Man #1), your 5 favorite foods (No. 1: gravy, and lot’s of it!), or even your 5 worst fears (No. 1: people who share extremely personal information with you for no reason at all).

And, as a last resort, if these ideas aren’t enough to inspire you, just Google “innovation” and start hitting websites at random. Have fun!

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